Headlight



April 29, 1941. P. J. SAVAGE HEADLIGHT Filed April 18, 1940 BY 8 w sdw.

7 ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR. 3

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES ea TENT QFFEQE HEADLIGHT Peter J. Savage, Iron River, Wis.

Application April 18, 1940, Serial No. 330,380

9 Claims.

This invention relates to light projecting means and the embodiment here illustrated is one particularly adapted to automobile headlights.

The present application is. a continuation-inpart of my formerly filed application Ser. No. 189,611, filed Feb. 9, 1938.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of projector housing, deflectors, etc., that will afford the maximum of convenience, safety, and desirable illumination.

Another object is to eliminate objectionable features in ordinary lights such as glare and the like without in any way lessening the volume of light projected.

Another object is to provide means whereby the maximum'of light rays are employed as illumination on the highway.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automobile headlight system which may be selectively controlled in the simplest manner possible and to the best advantage of vehicle drivers approaching in opposite directions, and still provide adequate illumination of the highway and its environs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the preferred form of light projecting housing, showing the light projecting units in elevation.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the complete projector housing.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one end of the forward group of deflecting elements and operating mechanism therefor.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention here illustrated I have shown the headlight as composed of three separate units, I, 2 and 3, and which, obviously, may be of any desired candle power, the lower ones I and 2 having larger reflectors associated therewith, while the uppermost one is of smaller diameter and preferably of less candle power than the others. The units I, 2 and 3 are all tipped forwardly as illustrated to insure the major portion of all light rays therefrom being projected downwardly. While I have shown three separate reflectors to project the light, it is obvious that they may be concentrated into one, each light bulb being contained within a cone or other shaped reflector and said single unit having a single lens covering all reflectors. In either event the lens or lenses in front of the units I and 2 are so constructed as to cast a strong narrow beam of light from the central portions of those units.

The light projecting housing comprises the side walls 4 and 5, the top wall 6, the bottom wall i, all of which converge slightly towards the front thereof, and the front of the housing is equipped with a suitable protecting glass as indicated at 8, while the rear end of the housing may be covered in any desired manner depending upon the structure of the vehicle to which the light is applied.

Spaced inwardly slightly from each side wall of the housing is installed any suitable form of light deflecting surface, preferably somewhat arcuate in shape near its rear end as at 9, and merging into a substantially vertical terminal at the forward end of the housing for deflecting forwardly, downwardly, and laterally therefrom the light rays from said light units. These defleeting surfaces coverprefera-bly only the upper portion of said side walls, approximately as illustrated in Figure 1. The top wall of the housing, forward of the light units, is also equipped with a deflecting surface so as to throw the light rays as much as possible downwardly and forwardly of the housing, and, since it is undesirable to project any of the light rays forwardly and upwardly, the bottom of the housing is left void of any deflecting element.

In front of the lower portion of the light units, for example the two lamps I and 2, and rearwardly of the focal point of the rays from said units, is installed a group of flat stationary defiector elements I5, preferably of sheet metal such asv tin or the like, the under surfaces only of each of which are designed to deflect the light rays, their upper surfaces being of a non-deflecting finish. These deflector elements are parallel to each other and tipped downwardly slightly, approximately at right angles to the lenses of said lamps, and so positioned that none of the rays of light from the two lower lamps below a horizontal plane coincident with the rear edge of the top deflector I5 can be seen from a point in front of the housing above said plane, thus controlling the light rays passing through said deflectors and making it impossible for those rays to be harmful to an oncoming driver or pedestrian. It will be understood that only the underside of said deflector elements are provided with deflecting surfaces to deflect rays downwardly, and, while this construction is preferred, yet it has been proven by experiment that it is not essential for the optimal functioning of the device, and that both surfaces of these deflectors may be flat or non-deflecting, to further subdue the source of light. These deflectors are progressively wider, each one extending beyond the one below it, as clearly illustrated in the drawing, this being found to produce the preferred volume of light being projected forwardly without causing same to rise objectionably. This effectively controls all rays passing through said deflectors from being projected above a certain plane, indicated by the dotted line H, in front of a vehicle equipped with such headlights, and yet affords ample lighting of the highway for an adequate distance beyond the vehicle, and it has been demonstrated that the light rays passing through said deflectors strike a level roadbed all theway from 9' to 160 in front of the vehicle,"

depending, of course, upon the elevation of the headlight on the vehicle.

Transverse the upper portion of the smaller forward end of the housing, and forwardly of the focal point of the rays from said light units, is installed a group of three deflecting elements,

'as indicated at Hi, they being rigidly united toand deflectors immediately in front of same are tipped slightly forwardly, with the deflectors approximatelyat right angles to the lens, and that the forward deflectors iii are substantially parallel with but in planes above that of the rear deflectors, there will be a direct bar or beam of light from all of said units projected longitudi" nally of the housing between the two sets of deflectors, even when the deflectors I!) are in their lowermost position, and it has been estimated thatthis constitutes about 80% of the light projected. When the'forward deflectors it are in their lowermost position there are no rays from this direct bar or beam of light which can project from the housing above a plane, indicated by the dotted line It, coincident with the rear edge of the upper deflector in the group I5, and

this should be the position of the deflectors iii when approaching an oncoming vehicle or pedestiian. Thus it is apparent that all rays from the light units above the plane indicated by the dotted line l6 may be effectively controlled so that it will be impossible for any of said rays to be projected above said plane, and which plane is materially below that of the normal eye level of a pedestrian or oncoming motorist on the highway, thus insuring against any rays inter- 'fering with an oncoming vehicle driver or person on the highway in front'of such vehicle, and yet permitting of clear vision of all objects upon either side of a vehicle thus equipped. When, however, there is no traiiic on'the highway, the forward deflectors may be raised, which of course will raise the top or ceiling of this direct bar or beam of light and give the driver of the vehicle the advantage ofthe maximum volume of light atysufllcient height for, all ordinary driving purposes.

As means to insure-positive vertical movement of the group of forward deflectors IE], it will be noted that a rectangular opening, indicated at 21, is formed in the upper forward corners of the walls 9, the lower edge of one of which openings is indicated at 22, and the inner end edge is indicated at 23. Since this group of three deflectors is provided with an end Wall 24 at either end thereof, forming a fixed structure projecting inwardly in respect to the openings 2|, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the same, when in its lowermost position as shown in Figure 1, will rest upon the bottom edge of said openings, and, when being raised or lowered, will be retained in its normal inclined relation to the other cooperative parts of the projector means, thus insuring against any change in the angle of deflection of the light rays.

It is to be understood that the vertical adjustment of the deflectors i9 is comparatively but very slight, those at present in actual use not being moved to exceed but which is found to be ample in adequately controlling, when desired, any damaging projection of upwardly inclined rays of light.

' It may be found desirable to provide additional means to insure against rocking motion-of the group of deflectors It when being adjusted, and in such event I have shown the vertically disposed angle 25 as fixed to the inside of the wall '5 of the housing and with its inwardly projecting web' extending within a suitable groov 26 in the end 24 of the lower assembly, and such guide being closer to the pivotal connection I I might insure more positive constant alignment of the louvers. It is to be understood that the pivotal connection I l is sufficiently loose to prevent binding of same due to its slight circular movement.

It is quite apparent from the above, that adjustment may be made of either the light units or the projector housing to comply with varied circumstances or laws in respect to the distance that a light should be projected in front of a vehicle, or to vary the degree of spread of the various lights in combination one with another.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A headlight for automobiles comprising in combination a rectangularly shaped, forwardly declining, projector housing, all four walls of which converge toward the smaller forward end thereof, a light projecting unit within the rear endthereof, light deflecting surfaces in the top and upper portions only of the sides of said housing, stationary deflecting elements mounted in the rear of the housing and positioned in front of the lower portion of said light unit, a group of parallel vertically adjustable deflecting elements in the upper portion of the forward end of said housing, said latter deflecting elements being for optional subjection of glare from said light unit, and being parallel with, but in planes above that of the first mentioned deflectors, whereby a direct beam of light may pass longitudinally through said housing between the rear and front deflectors.

2. The combination substantially as set forth in claim 1, said stationary deflecting elements progressively decreasing in width from the uppermost to the lowermost ones thereof.

3. An automobile headlight comprising in combination a rectangularly shaped projector housing, forwardly declining, and all four walls of which converge toward the smaller forward end thereof, a light projecting unit in the rear end thereof, stationary parallel deflecting elements mounted within the rear of said housing and positioned in front of the lower portion of said unit,

parallel deflecting elements mounted in the upper portion of the forward end of said housing, said latter deflecting elements being vertically adjustable in parallel planes which are parallel with, but above, said rear deflectors, whereby the ceiling of a direct beam of light passing longitudinally through said housing between said rear and front deflectors may be effectively controlled and confined below a predetermined plane, said front deflectors being adjustable downwardly in parallel planes for optional subjection of said direct beam of light.

4. A headlight for automobiles comprising in combination a declining elongated projector housing, a plurality of light units in the rear end of said housing, a plurality of deflecting elements immediately in front of the lowermost of said light units whereby light rays therefrom passing through said elements are prevented from being projected from said housing above a plane cincident with the uppermost of said elements, and a plurality of deflectors in the upper forward end of said housing, said last mentioned deflectors being vertically adjustable in planes parallel with the planes of said first mentioned deflectors to optionally subject light rays projected from said units above a plane coincident with the uppermost of said first mentioned elements.

5. A headlight for automobiles comprising in combination an elongated projector housing, a light unit mounted within the rear end of said housing, stationary, parallel, light deflecting elements mounted within the rear portion of said housing and positioned in front of the lower portion of said light unit, a group of light deflecting elements adjustably mounted in the upper forward end of said housing, said latter deflecting elements being fixed in parallel relation to each other and being vertically adjustable as a group in planes parallel to but above said first mentioned light deflecting elements.

6. A headlight for automobiles comprising in combination a declining elongated projector housing, a plurality of light units in the rear of said housing, a plurality of fixed parallel light ray deflectors in rear of the housing and in front of the lowermost of said light units whereby rays passing through said deflectors are controlled in their projection from said housing, and a plurality of light ray deflectors in the upper forward end of said housing, said latter deflectors being fixed in parallel relation to each other and to the first mentioned deflectors and means for vertically adjusting downwardly said last mentioned deflectors and maintaining their parallel relation with the first mentioned deflectors to control the upward projection of light rays from said housing.

7. A headlight unit of the type described comprising an elongated light projecting housing, a source of light within one end of said housing,

-light deflecting means upon the top wall and upper portions of the side walls of the housing for deflecting forwardly, downwardly, and laterally light rays from said light source, a group of fixed, parallel, slightly declining light deflecting elements in rear of the housing and in front of the lower portion of said light source to control the light rays passing therethrough, and a group of similar light deflecting elements fixed in parallel relation to each other and to said first mentioned group in the forward terminus of said top wall, and means for vertically moving downwardly said latter deflecting elements and for maintaining the parallel relation with said first mentioned group of deflector elements to limit the upper extent of the light projected from the housing.

8. A headlight for automobiles comprising in combination a declining rectangularly shaped projector housing all four walls of which converge toward the smaller forward end thereof, a light unit within the rear end thereof, stationary, parallel, deflecting elements positioned in rear of the housing and in front of the lower portion of said light unit, and a group of parallel deflecting elements vertically adjustable in parallel planes which are parallel to the stationary deflecting elements mounted within the upper portion of the forward end of said housing, means for maintaining the parallel relation of the deflecting elements in all positions of adjustment, said latter deflecting elements, when in their lowermost adjusted position, preventing the projection of light from said headlight above a certain predetermined plane, and deflecting surfaces in the top and upper portions only of the sides of said housmg.

9. A headlight for automobiles comprising an elongated projector housing, a light unit provided with a reflector within the rear end of said housing and projecting the rays to a focal point within the housing, a group of parallel light deflecting elements located in front of the lower portion of said light unit and rearwardly of said focal point, and a group of light deflecting elements adjustable vertically in parallel planes mounted within the upper portion of said housing forwardly of said focal point, means for maintaining the parallel relation of said latter deflecting elements when in their lowermost adjusted position with the first deflecting elements to prevent, the projection of light from said headlight above a certain predetermined plane.

PETER J. SAVAGE. 

